Data Synchronization/PLM

Data Synchronization/PLM

Global data synchronization is a technology initiative adopted by a handful of retailers and a more substantial number of suppliers, revealed the 2005 Consumer Goods Technology "Shared Strategy Study". And with one-quarter of manufacturers evaluating data sync, it's also clear that the second wave of adoption should hit its stride in the next year. Sterling sits atop the data sync mountain this year and for good reason. Not only did the readers of CGT find them leaders in this space but the company landed on Gartner's B2B Magic Quadrant list. Companies, like Campbell Soup, are also becoming wise to the ways of data sync, thanks to the robust functionality of Velosel (now TIBCO). "There is no e-mail involved for us," says Rose Smith, director of IT and application services, Campbell Soup. "It's all XML and messaging. The technology has really evolved." webMethods also resonates with the readers of CGT and for good reason. Clients, like Dean Foods, are tapping their services to great success. As a result of company acquisitions, Dean Foods acquired a challenging number of new and inconsistent SKUs and UPC codes. There was inconsistent data between business units for the same products and a lengthy process to find and validate the data that customers needed. "There is a lot of data out there in our companies and the question is how do we leverage that data?," says Keith Markbreiter, manager, business process integration, Dean Foods. "How do we make it work for us and for our customers?" That's the million-dollar data sync question consumer goods execs will need to find the answer for in 2006.

Breakout Winners

Customer Experience
Finding a complete data sync package to boost customer relations is a rare find, but for Kodak, data sync nirvana was found in GXS. "We were looking for a more complete solution. GXS really had a vision for integrating the whole process -- creation of the map, operations, production support and monitoring," says Duane Cook, e-Business process manager for Kodak.

Small/midsize business
Four out of five Fortune 500 companies depend on Sterling Commerce to improve profitability through business process integration, both within company walls and among customers, suppliers and business partners. "It's so rock solid,"  says Steve Dunbar, EDI specialist, Quickie Manufacturing. "The software never failed during the first three years it ran 24/7. Even though some of my colleagues were wary at first to change systems, Gentran's reliability factor and ease of use sold everyone quite quickly."

Product Lifecycle Management

While PepsiCo won this magazine's Product Innovation award in 2005 for introducing a beverage in conjunction with 7-Eleven, collaborative product development is still a controversial topic for many manufacturers and retailers, according to findings from the 2005 CGT "Shared Strategy Study". Thankfully, PLM software is becoming more robust to help drive innovation and top line growth. Firms Anheuser-Busch and Kraft are tapping mySAP PLM. mySAP PLM is built on an open technology framework that takes advantage of industry standards such as HTML and XML to ensure flexibility and interoperability, exactly what the big boys of the industry are after. At No. 2 Microsoft is making waves with the readers of CGT for its ability to deliver robust product design collaboration solutions that allow users to create and track new product launches from different geographies. At No. 3, Oracle is giving PTC and UGS a run for their PLM money. Time will tell if niche players can compete with Oracle's size and power in 2006.

Breakout Winners
Customer Experience
Using software from UGS, LEGO realized a 15-times reduction in the mold design process for one of its recent products. Into 2006, LEGO will continue to use UGS software for element design.

Small/midsize business
For, Pella Corporation, Oracle's PLM applications provide a central and secure source of product information and a comprehensive set of collaboration tools.